1 Epiphany 2014

Epiphany 1 2014

Just so we’re not all thrown off after the nasty weather last Sunday—and the Feast of Epiphany falling on Monday… I just wanted to point out that this makes today the First Sunday after the Epiphany…which, for those of you keeping track, makes today the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ; a holiday that is difficult to find corresponding greeting cards. However, while this may not be a holiday we all keep on our day planners—it is still a recommended date for baptisms—which is a really good thing. I like baptisms.

But, I have to confess, that whenever baptism comes up, I am reminded of two movies. First, during the examination in the Rite of Baptism, I always think of The Godfather, because of the line where the catechumen and sponsors are asked if they renounce Satan. I can’t help but picture scenes of Michael Corleone standing there at the font, while montages of “business being taken care of” flash in-between. Sorry if I ruined things for you.

The other, less disturbing movie I think of is “O Brother Where Art Thou?” This was a Cohen Brothers film set in 1930s Mississippi, and is about a trio of work camp fugitives trying to recover, from a farm house, money that one of them had stolen. The house, belonging to Ulysses Everett McGill (one of the fugitives), is in a valley that will soon be flooded to create a hydro-electric dam. And, of course, since the movie is a very loose adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, Everett is also trying to win back his wife, and survive a number of ridiculous encounters along the way. 

Anyway, the reason I think of this movie is because somewhere along the way, Everett’s companions, Pete and Delmar are drawn into a group of people going down to the nearby river to be baptized.

While it’s Everett’s assertion that “hard times [have] flush[ed] the chumps…” Everett watches helplessly as his companions, Delmar and Pete, run headlong into the water to receive baptism.

Later, while having a conversation in their stolen car, Delmar points out that it couldn’t have hurt for Everett to join them in being baptized. Everett responds by saying: “And join you two ignorant fools in a ridiculous superstition? Thank you anyway…” And then he laughs, and says: “Baptism! You two are just dumber than a bag of hammers!”

Now I should point out that the reason that I’m reminded of this film is not because I think baptism is ridiculous superstition, nor that people being baptized are dumber than a bag of hammers. In fact, those who have seen the rest of the movie know that baptism makes quite a difference later in the story. Instead, what does interest me is how much Everett’s skepticism, and dismissal of the power of baptism is so spot-on with that of many people.

I mean, sure, we can expect people outside of the Church to be a little suspicious about us half-drowning one another, and calling it adoption into the faith—but there are also a number of other Christians who don’t believe that baptism means a whole lot, either.

In fact, there are a number of groups who believe baptism to be a symbolic gesture only, with no real ontological, or spiritual effect… To me that’s just sad, and a little scary.

Not only is such a view not biblically based, it is one which undermines centuries of sacramental theology and practice in the Church. But then, like Everett, these people probably don’t understand the significance of baptism—so, how could we expect them to think any other way?

And, even though baptism is a central part of our tradition—and that of most Christian traditions—we may not fully understand the importance of receiving the sacrament of Baptism, for ourselves. Yet, in the Baptismal rite, we’re reminded that there is a great responsibility in it, and that it is not just a matter of our own, individual, spiritual life—it’s instead a very public and communal matter, as well.

In the Early Church, we know that the time reserved for baptisms was on the Easter Vigil—the Saturday night before Easter morning. This, of course, followed the preceding 40 days of the Lenten season, in which catechumens (or those preparing to be baptized) were instructed in the faith, and were taught what it meant to convert to Christianity.

This was a big decision. It wasn’t like it is today in America where we can convert, and place our faith on the shelf along with old certificates of participation.

Instead, for our ancestors in the faith, conversion very likely meant leaving family and friends to join other followers of Christ. To be a Christian—or a “follower of the Way,” as they were known in the New Testament—meant the possibility of imprisonment, persecution, and even death: all things that one might want to reflect upon before signing the contract…

But these 40 days of preparation were not only about preparing those who would be baptized into the faith; it was also a time for the Church to find out if the people who were making this commitment were genuine, and not spies. After all, it was not uncommon to have people infiltrating the Church to pass names on to the authorities.

What’s interesting, is that some of this is still happening in some countries today. In fact, there are missionary organizations which use aliases for people in the field, and communicate in code simply to keep them and their families safe… So, while we may not completely understand what it is that we’re signing onto here in American culture—there are certainly a number of our sisters and brothers throughout the world who do know the cost of discipleship…

But, I digress. After all, the point here is really about the importance of baptism.    

Although, I will say that Everett’s skepticism should make us think. I mean, in reality, no one will ever really know whether or not any of us has been baptized (not outside of close family members and church people).

So, in reality, there is no real way to know whether or not we’ve taken our baptism seriously. On the other hand, if we claim to be followers of Christ and do not live in a way that reflects it—well, that speaks volumes.

There is a great quote from one of my favorite authors, Brennan Manning, who says “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” That might sound a little harsh, but, he might have a point.

After all, if we do claim a faith that is so outward focused, and concerned with loving others, and seeking and serving Christ in all people—who could be offended, unless there was no substance to our faith?

I think if we’re honest, we have to take a serious look at how we respond to our faith. Certainly ours is a tradition which considers faith in a pretty calm, rational way—and this isn’t to say that we need to become a happy-clappy big box church to find meaningful faith. Actually, I might say the opposite. But what it does mean is that we need to really consider what our faith, the promises that we made—or were made on our behalf at baptism mean to us. Are we really called to a different way of life, and do we take it seriously enough to live it?

  

Now, of course we know that in baptism we’re baptized into Christ’s death (as St. Paul says), and given regeneration of soul—but, what that really means in the day-to-day, who knows? We probably never know the full power and import of what our baptism means—however, just as we recall in the Baptismal rite, and as we see in the actions of Jesus in himself being baptized by John. We do this thing in “joyful obedience.” We receive in baptism, then, not only the gift of adoption as children of God, we are also called to live a life that manifests God’s love in Jesus Christ to the world. Not only that, but we’re given the power to do that work.

And if negative actions in the name of faith are cause for skepticism and even unbelief in the world; then what could happen if we are willing to live into our baptismal calling and our faith with the same joyful obedience with which we entered the waters? Perhaps we might see a world with a bit more faith, and fellow Christians who could finally understand the power and importance of holy baptism.